Happy Birthday Helga Pataki
by redhairdream
Summary: Helga is expecting to have her usual lonely birthday or her 18th this year..but instead she gets something... or someone...she never thought she'd actually get


HelgaXArnold one shot

I sighed and slipped on my hot pink beanie. Told held her in a melancholic mood. It was very bitter sweet day. No, it's nothing as bad as your thinking, no deaths no one moved away or anything. It's Just that today is Helgas birthday. Or it's supposed to be. But every single year is the same. Everyone, except Phoebe forgets. Although Helga had to admit though that it made sense. Very few people were allowed in her little world. Helga never really thought about it but she figured she was so ingrained with being mean and pushing people away that it was now second nature. Well the pushing people away anyhow, Helga wasn't one to be mean anymore. She had given that up in the sixth grade, it was leading her nowhere and the act was very tiring.

After tying up her pink combat boots she slipped on her black pull over hoodie and left the house, not that anyone noticed of course. It's not like they ever noticed. Helga had decided to write in her journal in the park, wanting to be away from people, at least the people who didn't notice her. Twisted sense of thought right? But think about it. Better to be around no one than to be surrounded by people who don't see her at all. So she made her way to the city park, which was actually quite relaxing.

Alone on the park bench

feeling makes my heart wrench

unsure what to do

with how I feel about you

i've loved you long time

wishing you'd be mine

i'm ready to give up

since really I have no luck

Helga was startled out of her thoughts by the clearing of a throat. "What are you doing out here alone Helga?" Helga stared, surprised.

"Arnold? What are you doing here?" She quickly closed her little pink book and tucked her purple pen away. She didn't want him to see it, even if it didn't have his name in it this time. It would still be embarrassing, to say the least.

"I'm assuming it was the same reason as you. To get away from everything?" He sat down next to her, folding his hands in his lap. He was wearing the usual outfit, his red plaid shirt unbuttoned over his teal undershirt. He had switched it around in the middle of fifth grade, wanting it change it up a bit, and just stuck with it ever since.

Helga cleared her throat. "Yeah, something like that." she made to tuck her pink book into the satchel she carried everywhere with her but a hand on her wrist stopped her.

"Do you mind if I read one? I see you writing all the time, and have yet to see how good you really are. Although I wouldn't doubt that your writing is amazing, I mean you have been writing since before the fourth grade." Helga froze. Should she let him read it? Even if they didn't have his name anymore they were her deepest darkest thoughts. The were how she relieved the stress in her life. "Helga. You know I would never make fun of you 'cause you write. Please?" He was right. He has never seen her writing before but her has yet to make a negative comment about it. Despite the fact that they didn't talk much, he was probably the most supportive (besides Phoebe of course) people she knew. On top of that he never stopped trying to be her friend. It's what had made being mean so exhausting in the first place.

Taking a deep breath she flipped to a much less romantic one and held it out to him before she lost her nerve completely. He sat for a few minutes reading, a small smile slowly forming. Oh God. I knew it. Even Arnold couldn't help but laugh at my poems. Maybe I should just go back to being the bully Helga G. Pataki. Maybe I should-

"Helga this is amazing." Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Uh, what?"

"Why are you surprised? It's beautiful. Have you ever thought about getting these published? I mean if this one was that good then the others are probably just as good or better." Seeing Helga frozen in shock, he simply smiled and stood up. He tucked her pink book back in her bag, laughing when she still hasn't moved, and held out his hand. "C'mon. I'm meeting Gerald and Phoebe for ice cream. Come with me. Please?" She nodded and took his hand, noticing instantly that he didn't let go, only gripped her hand gently and ran his thumb back and forth. "Helga, you never answered my question."

Helga frowned. She didn't want to answer. There was no answer that he would believe without seeing right through her. She had apparently become transparent lately. She stayed silent hoping he'd drop it instead. Nope. Figured not.

"Helga, what were you doing all alone?"

She sighed and gave up. "Just what it looked like, Football Head. Being alone. I don't generally like being around people very much. You should know that."

"Oh I know. But today is different isn't it?" Wait, what?

"What, uh, what do you mean? Today is no different than any other day."

"Sure, Helga. Whatever you say." She sighed in relief and took pleasure in his hand in hers. A few minutes later they arrived at Slaussen's ice cream shop. Phoebe and Gerald sat in a corner booth talking and laughing. Phoebe and Gerald were sharing a small banana split. "Do you want anything, Helga? I'll pay." Helga ended up deciding on a small mint chocolate chip shake, not wanting him to spend too much on her. She felt guilty enough that him and Gerald would have to put up with her. Yeah you could say she gave up 'not caring' what people say.

Arnold knew what she was thinking. He didn't say anything about it but he knew she was feeling confused, and unsure of herself. He had to prove that she had a lot of people that cared and loved her, despite her family. He knew that they were part of the reason she used to be so mean. He also thought, although was still unsure, that she used to be wprse to him because most of the time he was nice to her and she didn't know how to react.

"Oh hello Helga. I was wondering if i'd get to see you today." Phoebe smiled warmly and leaned over the table to hug Helga. For the first time that day Helga cracked a small smile.

"Hey Pheebs. Hi Gerald."

"Hi Helga. You doing OK? You don't look to happy." Helga was sightly surprised that Gerald had been the one to ask instead of Phoebe but she quickly recovered and plastered on a small fake smile.

"I'm fine Gerald. Just uh, don't feel all that great. Stomach ache I guess."

Gerald just smiled sadly. "What ever you say, Helga."

After a lot of small talk and everyone finish with their ice cream Phoebe smiled and said quietly, "So how about we go to the mall? There is a new story I want to check out."

Everyone except Helga had agreed and gotten up to get on the bus. When Helga stayed sitting Helga smiled slightly. "Thats OK you guys. Ill text you later Pheebs, I wanna write a little bit." Gerald frowned and grabbed the satchel Helga had set side before she could object. "Oh no you don't. You not getting' away from us yet. Besides. You need some cheering up to do and writin' in that journal of your's ain't gonna help.

So thats how Helga ended up at the mall of all places. At the beginning of te day all she had wanted to do was write in her journal an relax in the park, without interuption from big Bob's yelling for 'Olga' or Miriam suddenly falling asleep on her lunch or dinner plate. But here she was, after eating at slaussens, at the mall with her friends. Helga smiled to herself. She had to admit that this was turing out to be a decent birthday after all.

After a while, Phoebe and Gerald went off on their own, promising to meet up with them in a couple hours at the food court. "So, Helga. How about we go see a movie. Your pick, my treat?"

"Um, I can't do that. You've done enough already. The trip to Slaussens, walking around the mall.

"Helga," Arnold sighed and held her head between his hands, making Helga's heart beat a thousand miles a minute. "When will you just realize when to just say OK? I'm doing this for _you_. So please, pick a movie?" Helga just nodded, trying to keep the tears from falling, nearly failing when he wiped the corner of her eyes with his thumbs.

The movie was good, a comedy she had wanted to see for a couple months now. She had enjoyed the sound of Arnolds laughter more though, than she had actually paid attention to the movie at all. After some thought, Helga realized that she was glad she went to the park when she did. So far today has been absolutely the best birthday she has had for...ever. She may have not gotten any gifts, but that stopped bothering Helga years ago, learning to be glad she got a quiet day out of the house. But Helga believed that was the end to her day, and she was perfectly happy with that, To get some lunch and go home to write. After grabbing a slice of pizza and a Caesar salad for her and nachos for him, they made their way to an empty table to wait for Gerald and Phoebe. "Hey, Football Head?"

Arnold chuckled at the familier nickname. "Yes, Helga?"

"Thank you." She gave him a tight hug, before she blushed and continued to eat her food.

"Anytime, Helga." They ate in companionable silence for a while, Helga savoring her company and the day she's had so far, wondering if there would ever be a day to top this one., while Arnold was enjoying Helas company and waiting a little impatiently for his other friends to get here. He had a couple more surprises for Helga planned and he couldn't wait to see her face.

Just then Phoebe gave him a thumbs up, holding two sacks in her hands. Gerald himself held one and grinned widely at him. "So Helga. We have something for you. But you have to close your eyes. Wait!" he raced around the table, pulled Helga out of her chair and sat down in it. Then he spread his legs and pulled Helga down to sit between them. Helga gasped, turning Beet red.

"Arnold! What are you doing..."

"Just hang on Helga." Arnold wrapped one arm around her stomach, feeling her stomach clench, and covered her eyes with the other. Phoebe and Gerald quietly sat down both trying to hold in their laughter. Phoebe raised an eyebrow at the sight and they set their bags on the table. "OK Helga. Now I'm going to uncover your eyes, but you have to promise me one thing. Your not allowed to move from your spot."

"I- what!?" She went to get up but his arm tightened, and she felt his nose rub along her neck. Helga froze, terrified as to why he was acting so intimately and in public at that.

"Uh-huh. You have to say 'I promise'." Helga gulped and whispered quietly, "I promise." Finally, grinning from ear to ear, he removed his hand but made sure to keep his arm wrapped around her waist, only adding his other arm to it.

Helga sucked in a sharp breathe. Phoebe and Gerald were grinning widely at her. Then something else registered. Hoping to distract them all, so she could squirm her way out of his hold, Helga asked with false calm, "So what did you get Pheebs? Did you like the new store?"

Phoebe smiled. "Of course I did Helga. But these aren't mine. All of these are yours. Happy birthday Helga. Here before you cry, which I can tell you are about to do, open up your first gift."

Phoebe handed Helga a small gray gift bag. Inside was a pink jean jacket folded up neatly. It was one of those ones that was only half as long as a normal jacket. "Thanks Pheebs! It's so cute! The last one Phoebe had gotten her was a new pink beanie (the one she had was old and worn). By that moment Helga lost all nervousness about practically sitting on Arnolds lap, and simply leaned back and settled settled in comfortably. Gerlad was next although since they didn't talk as much as the others he got her a set of pink pens and purple notebooks. He told her that she should change it up and switch it around. In all honesty Helga seriously appreciated the gift. She was running out of notebook space as it was, and writing in pink for once might be a nice change. Suddenly, interrupting Helgas thoughts Arnold shifted and reached into his pants pocket, placing a small velvet case in front of Helga. As Helga just stared at it, unsure of what it was supposed to be, Phoebe and Gerald slowly and quietly got up and disappeared. "Open your gift Helga. Think you'll like it."

Helga slowly picked up the velvet case and pulled it open. Laying a a bed of soft white pearly fabric lay a necklace. On the end was a small silver envelope with a small diamond for the seal. It was such an odd site, but oddly cute. "Where did you find something like this? It's odd..yet, cute."

Arnold smiled. She hasn't seen anything yet. "Watch." He pressed the small diamond in and grinned as the top of the envelope snapped open as if spring loaded. Folded up inside was a small white piece of paper. "Read it." Helga pulled it out and slowly unfolded it. Typed out on the piece of paper in black ink was three words. Words she had so wanted to hear from him, ever since she was three years old.

"Arnold..." Helga teared up and folded the paper up as gently as possibly. Helga picked up the pack of pens, opened it and opened up to a random page in one of her new books and wrote the three very words she finally got from him. _ I love you._ "Do you mean it?"

"Of course." She handed him her paper and gripped his arm tightly.

Arnold shifted her around and held her chin. "You mean so much to me. I may not be able to replace your family, but I will spend the rest of my life proving to them how much they missed out on. Only if you let me in." Helga smiled and nodded. She got up and grabbed his hand in hers, leading him away. "Where are we going ?"

"I think it's time I show you _all_ of my poems."


End file.
